Machine for operating intermittently upon and in synchronism with a continuously flowing stream of material



March 24, 1953 Filed March 8, 1951 E.SNLLMAN MACHINE FOR OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY UPON AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM OF MATERIAL 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 HVVENTDR.

March 24, 1953 E. SKILLMAN 2,632,509

I MACHINE FOR OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY UPON AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM OF MATERIAL Filed March 8, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 7 I j o II NM m 1 g! 2 2- I E I I l :3 l 54 lllllll z 154 z 44 i '01.. 0 i 1: 70 I lij INVENTOR.

Era/x420 WUMAA ATTORNEY 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. [WARP JXWEHW; BK

ATYOFMZ E. SKILLMAN MACHINE FOR OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY UPON AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH. A CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM OFMATERIAL March 24, 1953 Filed- March 8, 1951 March 24, 1953 E. SKILLMAN 2,632,509

MACHINE FOR OPERATING INTERMITTENTLY UPON AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A 'CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM OF MATERIAL Y Will/Id IN V EN TOR. .Efrmzrv ATTOFAQEZ Patented Mar. 24, 195 3 MACHINE FOR OPERATING INTERMIT- TENTLY UPON AND IN SYNCHRONISM WITH A CONTINUOUSLY FLOWING STREAM OF MATERIAL Edward Skillman, Enterprise, Kans., assignor to The J. B. Ehrsam'& Sons Manufacturing 00., Enterprise, Kans., a corporation of Kansas Application March 8, 1951, Serial No. 214,582

12 Claims. (Cl. 164-43) The present invention relates to a machine for variably operating on continuously-flowing material. The invention is adapted for use in connection with a shear, a punch, printing or embossing mechanism, a scoring device, or any one of a multitude of applications in which it is desired to perform some operation, at fixed or variable intervals, upon a continuously-flowing stream of material which may or may not move at constant velocity. For convenience of description, the invention has been illustrated as embodied in a flying shear, but it is to be understood that such illustration is by way of example only and is not intended to be limitative.

When a continuously-movable stream of material is to be operated upon in any type of work analogous to those above suggested, it is essential that, during operative engagement between the work and the parts of the machine acting upon the work, those parts shall be moving, in the direction of movement of the work, and, with reasonable accuracy, at the velocity of the Work. Such synchronization is, of course, impossible to attain through a simple eccentric drive, eiiected by mounting the cooperating parts of the machine upon diametrically opposite crank portions of a rotor, since the Velocity of such parts, in the direction of movement of the work, imparted by such crank elements, is continuously variable throughout the cycle of the rotor. An object of the present invention is to provide means of novel characteristics for modifying the velocity of parts so supported in order to attain substantial uniformity of velocity thereof, in the direction of work movement, during a period of cooperative engagement between such parts and the work.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means, in connection with such a machine, for varying the effect, upon a pair of cooperating elements so mounted, of rotation of the supporting rotor whereby, at times, such rotation will move the jaws into one cooperative relation to the work and, at other times, will move said jaws into a difierent cooperative relation with the work. The character of such means, as disclosed herein; may be such as completely to prevent cooperation between such parts and the work throughout any desired number of cycles of the rotor, and to effect such cooperative relation during the next cycle succeeding such predetermined number of cycles; or, alternatively, it may be such as tocause a pair of cooperating shear jaws to score the work material upon each of such predetermined number of cycles, and to sever the work material upon the next succeeding cycle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for selectively varying the rate of rotation of such a rotor, relative to the velocity of the flowing work material, in order to vary the spacing between work-affecting operations of the machine, in the direction of length of the flowing work stream.

Still further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, my invention may be embodied in the form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, attention being called to the fact, however, that the drawings are illustrative only, and that change may be made in the specific construction illustrated and described, so long as the scope of the appended claims is not violated.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a machine con structed in accordance with the present invention as seen from a position in which the work stream flows from the observers left toward his right;

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of said machine seen from the right-hand end of Fig. 1, parts being shown in section for clarity of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section taken substantially on the line 3, 3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged longitudinal fragmental section taken substantially on the line 4, e of Fig.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, but showing the parts in a different relationship;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 1 but taken from the opposite side of the machine, parts being removed or shown in section for clarity of illustration Fig. 7 is an end elevation taken from the left of Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal fragmental section, taken substantially on the line 8, 8 of Fig. 3 and drawn to an enlarged scale;

Fig. 9 is an exploded perspective of one form of variable crank mechanism which may be used in my invention;

Fig. 10 is an elevation taken from the lefthand end of Fig. 8; and

Fig. 11 is an elevation of one element of the machine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have illustrated a base it providing an upstanding support il in which is journalled a transversely-extending shaft or rotor :2. Immediately beyond the ends of said support, the shaft is provided with aligned crank sections or eccentrics l3; and, beyond said sections, said shaft is provided with further crank sections or eccentrics l4. As illustrated, the sections M are peripherally spaced from the sections 13, and the degree of eccentricity of said portions I 4 is equal to thedegree of eccentricity oi 3 the sections l3. Between the sections i3 and :4, at one or both ends of the shaft ii, there is provided a further eccentric section it which, shown, may be of substantially less degree of eccentricity. The function of the section 55 will appear as the description proceeds.

A jaw member if, having a work-cooperative portion ll near one end thereof, is provided, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, with laterally-separated, downwardly-turned leg portions it (Fig. 2) adjacent its said end, said leg portions being journal mounted, respectively, upon the eccentric sections i3, i3 of the shaft l2.

A further pair of supports l9, l9 are mounted near the opposite end of the base l8, and each is formed to provide a trackway 23 therein, as is most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 6. At its corresponding end, the jaw member !6 is provided with a pair of laterally-separated, downwardlyextending legs 2|, 2|, each of which carries a pintle 22 mounting a roller 23 engaged and supported in one of said trackways for reciprocatory movement therein. The details of the trackways 2U andthe operation of therollers 23 therein will be discussed hereinafter.

Directly above the pintles 22, the jaw member I is provided, at each lateral side thereof (Fig. '7) with a laterally-offset boss 2% in which is received a hinge pin 25. An upper jaw member 26 isprovided at its rear end with downturned legs 21, spaced to mate with the bosses 24 and perforated to receive the hinge pins 25. Thereby, the jaw members It and 26 are hingedly connected at their rear ends for relative movement about the common axis of the hinge pins 25. At its opposite, or forward, end, the jaw member 26 is provided with a work-cooperative portion 28 positioned for coaction with the portion l? of the jaw Hi. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the units i7 and 23 may be shear blades; but it will be understood that they may be any other kind of cooperating tools, and that they, or either of them, may be integral with, or removably carried by, the respective jaws, all in accordance with the broad concept of the invention as stated above.

The forward end of the jaw member 26 is formed. to provide laterally-separated journal bearings 29 in which is mounted a rock shaft 30- provided, at its opposite ends and beyond the bearings 29, with aligned eccentric portions 3|, 3| disposed in registry with the cranks Hi, Id of the shaft l2. Fixed to the rock shaft 30 at a suitable point is an arm 32 (Fig. 1) and a link 33' has one end pivotally connected to the arm 32 and its opposite end pivotally connected to a plunger 34 reciprocably mounted in a housing 36 and resiliently urged to its illustrated position by a spring 35. The tubular housing 38 is mounted to rock about a pivot 31 carried by a support 38 mounted on the jaw member 26.

It will be seen that the elements 32, 33, 34 comprise a toggle and that the spring tends to retain that toggle resiliently in either of its opposite positions. If the link 33 is moved upwardly from its illustrated position, the plunger 34 will be forced inwardly against the tendency of the spring 35, and the housing 35 and the arm 32 will be oppositely rocked about their respective journal mountings until they pass a position of alignment, whereafter the spring 35 will tendto continue such upward movement of the link 33 4 direction as viewed in Fig. 1, through approximately thereby shifting the eccentrics 3|, 3| from positions, as shown, below the axis of the rock shaft 36 to positions above that axis.

A rigid strap 39 is provided for supporting each end of the rock shaft 30 from the rotor l2. Each such strap has its lower end 40 journalled on one of the cranks l4, and its upper end 4| journalled on one of the eccentrics 3|. Thereby, the forward end of the jaw member 26 is supported from the cranks I4, Hi.

In Fig. l, the cranks I3 are shown at the tops of their circular paths, while the cranks M are shown at the bottoms of their circular paths. Thus the tool I! is in its uppermost position, within the cycle of the rotor I2, and the tool 28 is in its lowermost position, within that cycle. As will be seen, so long as the rock shaft 3|! is in its position shown in Fig. 1, the tools I! and 23 are spaced from cooperative relation. If, however, the rock shaft 30 is turned to the oppositelimit of its adjustment, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, the axis of the rock shaft 30 will thereby be thrown below the axis of the cranks 3|,

- whereby, with the shaft H in its position shown in Fig. 1 and in Fig. 6, the. tools IT and 28 will be brought into cooperative relation.

Power is supplied to the machine through an input shaft 6.2 (Fig. 3) which may, in any desired. fashion, be driven in synchronism with the streanr of material being fed to the machine of the pres ent disclosure, whether that stream moves at'uni form, or at variable, speeds; Said shaft 12' is suitably journalled upon the base It, and delivers power to a differential mechanism. Asv shown, said mechanism comprises'ahousing' w normally held against rotation about the axis of the shaft 42 by any suitable brake 4'3 calibrated to exert: upon said housing a predetermined braking-effect; The brake, however, must be of such character as to permit rotation of the differential housing 43 under the influence of mechanism later to be' described.

The shaft 42carries a beveled'gear 45 within the housing 13, said gear meshing with pinions d3, 48 journalled in said housing, and said pinionsv meshing, also, with an output gear '41 carried, within said housing, upon an output shaft 43' journalled in suitable bearings" supported upon the base Ill. A sprocket-49 fixed to the shaft 48 drives, through a chain 50, a sprocketfil fixed to the shaft l2.

The operation of the mechanism thus far described is as follows. Assuming therock' shaft 36 to be in the position of Fig. 6, power supplied through the shaft 42 will be transmitted, at the speed of said shaft and in the opposite direction, to the rotor i2. As said rotor turns, in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1, the crank-s |3 move toward the right and downwardly, while the cranks i move toward the left and upwardly. Thereby, the right-hand-end of the jaw member It is carried toward the right at a decreasing velocity, and is carried downwardly at an in creasing velocity. Since the left-hand end of the jaw member 26 is hinged to the left-hand end of the jaw member I6, the right-hand end of the jaw member 26 will'move toward the right with the right-hand end of the jaw member I6; but as the cranks M move upwardly, the righthand end of the jaw member 25 will moveupwardly at a rate corresponding tdtne rate of downward movement of the right-hand. end of the jaw member l6.

Since the hinge axis between the jaw members eam travel of the cranks I3 will cause the hinge axis 25 to rock in a clockwise direction about the axis of the pintles 22; Such rocking movement, of course, producing a transaxial movement of the hinge pins 25 toward the right, will incrementally increase the rate of movement of the tools I I andZB toward the right.

In the" illustrated embodiment of the inven tion, it will be seen that the jaw member It will move bodily toward the right, under the influence of the cranks I3, throughout the upper half of the rotary path'of travel of said cranks; and in that'illustrated embodiment, the pintles 22 are mounted for reciprocatory travel, generally in the" direction of flow of the work material. The trackways 20 are designed, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, to compensate ac curately for the variation in the velocity of longitudinal movement of the jaw member I6 resulting from the rotary path of the cranks I3, in a machine in which the distance from a vertical plane common to the axes of the pintles 22 and I the pins 25 to the vertical plane common to the axes of the rotor I2 and rock shaft 30 is three times the distance from the axis of the eccentric I3 to the active surface of the tool I1 and in which one revolution of the shaft I2 corresponds to one foot of travel of work material through the machine. As shown, each such trackway comprises four sections; a circular arcuate section I28 thrown upon a radius of 1.6, a rectilinear portion I29 tangent to the portion I28, a circular arcuate portion I30 merging with the opposite end of the section I28 and thrown'upon a radius of 4%, and a rectilinear portion I3I tangent to the opposite end of the portion I38. This specific; numerically-limited trackway design is, of course, applicable only to'the specified set of conditions; but of course said trackway can be made of a contour to fit any special conditions, and thereby to cause the travel of the tools I! and 28 to correspond, during engagementthereof with the work, accurately to the rate of travel of such work throughout aconsiderable distance. The specific dimensions herein illustrated will result in substantially perfeet synchronization throughout 60 of travel of the shaft I2, during which time the rollers 23 will traverse the sections I28 and I32 of the trackways. The rectilinear portions I29 and BI of said trackways, of course, are not critical.

In installations not requiring such a high degree of accuracy, the pintles 22, or the bosses 24, may be supported pivotally at the upper ends of links or hinge elements mounted to oscillate about a common axis parallel with the axis of the rotor I2.

' So long as the difierential housing 43 is held against rotation, the rotation of the shaft I2 will be directly synchronized with'the flow of materialthrough the machine, andthe tools I! and 23 will be caused to approach each other (for instance) once for every foot of travel of the work material therepast. It is sometimes desirable tovary the frequency of such approach, relative to the velocity of the work stream; and I have provided means for controllably effecting such variation.

v "The shaft 42 carries a gear 52 meshing with when tripped, to establish a driving connection between the gear 53 and the shaft 55. The specific construction of the clutch 54 is impertinent to the present invention, so long as its construc-- tion is such that, when it is tripped, it engages the gear 53 to drive the shaft 55 through one revolution and then releases such engagement until the clutch is tripped again.

An arm 56 (Fig. 8) is fixed to the shaft 55 in any suitable manner, and projects radially therefrom. Said arm is formed to provide a guideway 5! in which is suitably supported a trunnion member 58 for movement, along said trackway, between a position radially remote from the axis of the shaft 55 and a position coaxial therewith. Suitable means 59 is provided for retaining on said trunnion, in journalled relation, a collar 60 rigid with a rack BI. The details of the arm 55 and the manner in which it supports the trunnion element 58 adjustably will be more fully described hereinafter. For the present, suffice it to say that the arm and trunnion element comprise crank means, driven with the shaft 55, operatively connected to reciprocate the rack BI, and adjustable between zero throw and. a predetermined maximum.

By means of a cradle 62 or any other suitable device having a comparable function, the rack BI is supported in meshing engagement with a pinion 63 coaxial with the differential housing :23. One-way clutch means, indicated generally by the reference numeral 64, is interposed between the pinion 63 and the differential housing 43, providing a driving connection between the pinion 63 and said housing, upon rotation of saidpinion in one direction, but leaving said pinion free to rotate in the opposite direction relative to said housing. As shown, the pinion 63 may have a hub telescopically associated with a hub 65 on the housing 43, said pinion providing cam pockets in which are receivedballs or rollers 66 engaging said housing hub, in a manner well known to the art andillustrated in Fig. 8. As shown, the pinion 63 is free to rotate in a clockwise direction relative to the housing d3, as seen in Fig. 8, but will carry said housing with it upon rotary movement in a counter-clockwise direction. Obviously, when the shaft 55 is turned in a clockwise direction from its position illustrated in Fig. 8, the rack M will be moved toward the right throughout the first half revolution of the shaft 55 to drive the pinion 63 and housing 43 in a counter-clockwise direction; and said rack will move toward the left throughout the second half of such revolution of the shaft 55, carrying the pinion 63 in a clockwise direction, but leaving the housing 43 undisturbed.

If the parts are so proportioned and designed that such reciprocatory cycle of the rack -6I produces one-half revolution of the housing 43, it will be seen that the shaft I2 will thereby be retarded by one full revolution, so that the length of work material passing the jaws between cycles thereof will be increased by one foot. This movement of the housing 43 is, of course, timed to occur during a period when the tools I! and 2B are separated from each other and from the work, so that the consequent temporary reduction in velocity of the shaft I2 relative to the velocity of the work stream has no deleterious effect.

Obviously, a slight rearrangement of the parts would resultin acceleration of the shaft I2, in response to an operative cycle of the rack GI, to shorten the time between actions of the jaws.

It will be clear that, as the trunnion element 58 is adjusted, from its illustrated position,to-

ward: the. axis of the shaft. 55, the. throw of. the rack ii, in response to. a revolution of the crank. will be incrementally decreased, whereby the effect of. the rack cycle upon the length of'the jaw cycle will be correspondingly decreased; and it will further be seen. that, if the trunnion element.=58 is moved into axial coincidence. with the shaft 55, the rack will be held stationary and the cycleof the jaws. will be unaffected by rotation of the. shaft 55.

One form of means. for adjusting the position of the trunnionelement 58 in the trackway 5.1Iis

illustratedin-Figs. 3, 8, 9v and 10. Axially slidably mounted on the shaft55 is a collar 5.! which may or may not rotate with the said shaft. A screw shaft: 58 is journalled; for rotation. on an axis parallel with the axis of the-shaft 55, andanut I59 is threadedly mountedon said shaft 68, being suitably held against rotation therewith. Ayoke 1-9;, having; a. portion operatively engaged in a grooyein the collar 61, isoperatively connected to; the nut 69-, wherebyrotation-of the screw. shaft 68 will shift the collar 61 axially along the shaftifi.

A bracket H is. mounted to rotate with the shaft 55., and, ate point remote from the axis of said shaft, carries a. pivot: pin '12 upon which is rockably mounted a lever 13, one arm M of which has a. portion-engaged in; a groove in the collar 61,,whereby; axial movement of said collar will oscillate the lever 13;. The other arm of the ever:'l-3.- is connected to one'end of a link 16, the opposite-end of which isoper-atively connected to the; trunnion member 58;. A. hand wheel TI- is carried by the screw shaft 98 at an accessible point. Intheillustrated embodiment of the inventicnthe yoke l ilimay comprise a lever pivotally mounted at, 1.8.; intermediateits ends; upon a standard Hi-fixed tothe-base. H], and having its and remote from; the collar 61. pivotally'connected with thenut 69;. Obviously; rotation of. the. hand wheel H: wilL-adjustthethrow of the crank trunnice. 58: to vary the length: of. the; stroke: of the rack. 6th,. thereby varying the degree of rotation of the housing resuiting. from each rotation of theishaft .551v

I have; provided: adjustable means for-actuating the-roickshaftl 39 to determine the degree-of. approach of the: tools; l1? and 29 toward each other withinthe cycle of thejaw members 16. and A. plate 8.9, suitably secured to' the base I 9 and upstanding therefrom; (Figs. 1 and 3-), is pro.- vided with a peripheral: series of perforations 8.1. concentric with an opening in. which is. journalled a shaft 82, said shaft being further. journal-led in a bracket 83. A coiled spring 8'4 has one end anchored onthe bracket 83 and has its opposite end anchored on the shaft 82, whereby said spring tends. always to rotate. said shaft 82 in a clockwisedirection as viewed in Figs, 4 and 5, and resiliently to: resist. turning movementofthe shaft 82" in :a counterclockwise direction;

Loosely-journalle'dfor oscillation about the axis of theshaft 82': isv a'.lever:85 havingarms 86 and 8 projecting radially therefrom and angularl'y spaced fromeach other'by about 90 (Figs. 4 and 5'). An adjusting arm; 88 is likewise loosely journalled on the: shaft 82; in front of the'plate .83; and carriesa handle; 89 in which is mounted a knob 99 connected to: a plunger 9 l reciprocable in the handle. 89 and spring pressed to its projected position as shownin Fig. 3, the tip. of said plunger being selectively enterablein any" one: of the perforationsB-t to hold the arm '88 many desired position of adjustment. A finger 93 is with the arm 94,.intersects the arm 88'. The mannor in which these parts'cooperate. will be described. hereinaften.

A collar. 98' is journa led on. the eccentric l5 of the shaft [2 and is provided with a boss 99 having a threaded. socket in which is fixed one end of. apawl Hill. Saidpawl is reciprocably received between. the furcations of. a yoke lll'l carried at the. upper end. of a rocker- I'BZ pivotally mounted at :63 upon. a. suitable. support [03" fixed to the base Iii. Said. rocker is urged resiliently in a counter-clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 4'. by aspring 194;. anda nut [05 adjustabl'y mounted onthe pawl lililis cooperable with the. rocker to return the same, against the tendency of. the spring 109, to its illustrated. position whenever the pawl attains the right-hand. limit of. its stroke resulting from rotation of the eccentric IS;

A link 106. is pivotally connected to the pawl 19.0 at It! near the nose of said pawl; and a. pin or. roller I98, carried on the lever. arm engages in an elongated slot. I99 in the. remote end of said link. Normally, the. free end-of the lever arm fiBrests upon a step lltlformed on the rocker 92; as shown in Fig. 4-; 'but. said rocker is formed with a further step HI uponv which, under circumstances which will appear hereinafter, the lever. arm 86. may alternatively rest, as. shown in Fig; 5. A spring H2 resiliently urges the nose of the pawl I99. into cooperative engagement with aratchet wheel 92 keyed to the shaft 82.

A holding pawl H3, whichmay be mounted for rocking movement about the pivot I93; is resiliently urged into cooperative engagement with said ratchet wheel by a spring HA; and a spring H5 resiliently resists counter-clockwise. movement of the lever 95.

As. the shaft 12 rotates,- the. eccentric [5' and collar. 98 will produce reciprocation. of the. pawl 1.09. Said pawl is shown,.in..Fig,.4, substantially at. the rightrhand end of: its path: of. movement. As the pawl moves toward the left. the engagementof its nosewith a. tooth of theratchet. wheel 92 will cause; said. ratchet wheel to be turned one step a counter-clockwise direction against the tendencyof the; spring- 84, the nose of the pawl H3 clicking over a tooth-of the ratchet. wheel and engaging behind that. tooth to hold the ratchet wheel against return as thepawl Hi0. moves back to the right. The arm 93 and screw 96will, of course; move correspondingly with the shaft, whereby the screw 96.- -will approach the lever armii'l.

Eventually, as reciprocation of the pawl I continues, the screw 96 will engage thelever arm 81 to-move the. leveriil'i. in. a counterclockwise direction, to a: position inwhich the rocker [.02 will be permitted to move counterclockwise, under. the influence of the. spring [B L-t0 engage the step H1 underthe lever arm. 8.6.

This relation of the parts, illustratedin Fig. 5, will be. attained,v of course, as the pawl I90 approaches the left-handlimit of its stroke- The lever arm 86 carries a finger 1.1-6 which, as said leverv arm rises,. engages. under the holding pawl Ll3-to-lift the same out of cooperative relation with the ratchet 92. Now, only the pawl I00 holds the ratchet wheel 92 and shaft 82 against clockwise rotation under the influence of the spring 84. As the pawl I starts its return movementto the right, the link I06 acts as a toggle, when the upper end of its slot I09 engages the pin I 08, to lift the pawl I00 out of engagement with the ratchet to permit the spring 84 to turn the shaft 82 and its associated parts in a clockwise direction. Such movement of the shaft and its associated parts is limited by engagement of the screw 91 on the arm 94 with the arm 88, in its current selected position. This shaft movement is very quick and occurs before retractile movement of the nut I on the pawl I00 shifts the rocker I02 sufficiently to permit the lever arm 06 to drop off the step I II and return to the step I I 0, thereby permitting the holding pawl II3 to return to cooperative relation with the ratchet 92.

A link I I1 connects the screw 95, carried by the lever arm 81, with a rocker I I8 fixed to a rock shaft I I9 journalled in suitable bearings and extending transversely of the base I0. When the lever arm 81 is moved in a counterclockwise direction by the screw 96, as above described, from the position of Fig. 4 to the position of Fig. 5, the rock shaft I I9 will be correspondingly turned.

Near its end remote from the rocker II8 (Figs. 3 and 6), the rock shaft I I9 carries a rocker I I8. A plunger I has one end pivoted to the rocker H8 and is reciprocably mounted in a tubular element I2I, a spring I22 resiliently urging said element I2I toward the end of the plunger I20 remote from the rocker II8. A latch I23 is carried upon a slide I24 reciprocable upon a rod I25; and the movable end of said latch is connected to the element I2I. Thus, so long as the parts are in the positions of Fig. 4, said latch I23 will be held out of cooperative engagement with an abutment I21 secured to the rod I25; but when the parts are moved to the positions of Figs. 5 and 6, the spring I22 will resiliently urge said latch I23 toward cooperative relation with said abutment A link I26 connects the slide I24 to move with the jaw member I6. The rod I25 is connected to the link element 33 of the toggle which normally moves with the jaw member 26, and the lower end of said rod may be slida'bly mounted in a suitable guideway I25 in or upon the base I0. I

Thus, so long as the lever 85 remains in the position of Fig. 4, the toggle will hold the rock shaft 35 in the'position of Fig. 1, and the latch I123 will reciprocatefollowing the motions of the jaw I6, Without affecting the rod I25. When, the lever 85 is moved to the position of Fig. 5, however, the latch will be shifted, by the rocker I I8, plunger I20 and element I2I, and will engage the abutment I 21 to lift the rod I25 upon the next upwardmovement of the jaw member I6, whereby the rock shaft will be turned, in a I counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 6,

to cause the tools I1 and 28 to move into cooperative relation upon closure of the jaws I6 and 25.

However, as the jaws begin to separate, and the pawl I00 is retracted, the ratchet 92 is released to permit the spring 84 to rotate the shaft 82 to move the screw 95 away from the lever arm 01; and the rocker I02 is shifted in a clockwise direction to permit the lever arm 86 to drop back onto the step H0, whereby the rock shaft H9 is returned to the position of Fig. 4 and the latch I23 iswithdrawn from the abutment I21. The slide I 24, of course, will positively H1037? the .rod .I25

Preferably, the number and spacing of the per forations 8| will correspond to the number and spacing of the teeth of the ratchet wheel 92. I

Since it will ordinarily be desirable to actuate the length-modifying device of the present machine only at the time when the tools I1 and 28 are tocooperate, I, have herein illustrated means dominated by the rock shaft-actuating means for tripping the single revolution clutch 54 through which the rack SI is actuated. Alternatively, of course, any desired manual or automatic means may be provided for tripping said clutch. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, however, the lever may include a further arm I32, connected to operate a rock shaft I53 which, in turn, is'connected to actuate a trip lever I34 operatively connected to the clutch 54. Thus, when the lever 85 is shifted by the screw 96, the clutch 54 will be actuated to turn the shaft 55 through a single revolution.

One suitable form of mechanism providing for v adjustment of the throw of the rack BI is illustrated in detail in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. As there shown, the trackway 51 in the arm 56 is guarded by coplanar lips I 35 and I36, and is provided with a slot I31 opening through the upper surface of the arm 56., A block I38 is slidably mounted in the trackway; and a removable pin I39 extends from said blockf through the slot I31, while the trunnion element 58v projects from said block betweenthe lips I35 and I36. An end of the link 16 is pivotally engaged upon the pro ecting portion of the pin I39 and may be held thereon by a cotter pin I40 or the like; and a screw I4I penetrates the washer 59 and takes into a suitable socket in the free end of the trunnion element 58 to secure said washer in place to hold the collar 60 between said washer and the arm 56. The arm 55 is fixed to a collar I42 sleeved on the shaft 55 and adapted to be secured thereto by a set screw I 43, or the like; and said collar may also carry the bracketll The trackway 51 and the slot I31 are so proportioned and designed that the path of movement permitted to the block I38 is such that the trunnion element 58 may assume any position between'coaxiality with the shaft 55 and a location in which its axis is parallel with, but a maximum radial distance from, the axis of said shaft.

It will be clear from the above that, with the parts adjusted as described, so long as the rock shaft 30 is in the position of Fig. 1, rotation of the shaft I2 will result in vibration of the jaws I8 and 26 without affecting th stream of work material flowing'therebetween. When, however,

the pawl I I30 has advanced the shaft 82 sufil-cient- I 1y to cause the screw 96 to shift the lever 85 to rock the shaft I III, the rock shaft 30 will be shifted to the position of Fig. 6 and. when the jaws next approach. each other, the shears I1 and 28 will act to sever the work material. Immediately thereafter, the pawls H3 and I00 will be disengaged from the ratchet wheel 92 and the spring 84 will return the shaft 82 and its associated parts to the positions. illustrated in Fig. 4, whereafter the cycle will be repeated.

1 1 1 .1 it i des ed that the w re material shall he o d ea tim h jaws approach each other wh le th r e sha t C 1: is i the po it on-cf this 4, the n ma he urned down ripen the pl e :3 o im the de ee-i project n eisaicl plun er 7 m h h u n 5. under he nfluence hi the spring 35, e the tog le link e i roken .d n w i d s hat, whe t e r d 12 1 ush d nwardly by the slide I24, the rocl; shaft 39 will be s p d n an nt m diat es tien such that, as h jaws a reaeh each e r t e shea blad and 2 w en a and c re th we sme erie without severing the work material. Concuri h dju tment o the .nu 4, f o se, the abutment I21 will be adjusted downwardly upo the rod 25 a d se u ed in its ew e tion by the set screw I21, These adjustments, of ur i n a ect the Ope ation of t e timin mechanism associated with the shaft 8 2, which w l still ause t e s ar blades to sever t e work material a pr dete mined intervals,-

I claim a my in ention:

1- In a ma ine 9 the charac r described, a p o jaw m m in trumen es ei er inte r l wi o ar i d by said jaw :hersrneahs h s ti ie ing Said jaw member ier re ative m e en ab ut n ax s means su izertin sa j i in means fo v h ate y movemen transver ly of its own axis, a rotor having two diametriea vw ne d eee-ehtrie p r ons means s ppo in t e of one f said iaw mem ers i remote from said axis from one of said eccentric po i n and means iip e tihg that end or the ot e of sa d Jaw m mbers which is remote from sa i from the e er o sai eeeentr e portions- 2. In a machine of the character described, a pair of a m m ers, mean hin edl Join ng a d ia m mb rs for relat e mo emen ab ut a a x ai mevabie axis a r tor havin two d metri allyppose e trie portion means su p r hat nd o one 9i said me b r which is remote rom said axis from one hi s e ce porti ns me ns s pport ng hat nd of the other of said jaw members which is remote f m i a is fro the other of aid eeeehtric p r on he su orting means. f r o e i d 'iaw be s nc uding ad ustable hi s or ar e ef ct ve l ng h her pf to vary he ct of s id w members, m ans. for driv g aid rotor, an element cooper tivel o ted with i adius a e means an s it hie to m e aid adjustabl means, a ch means me b e with h other o sai Jaw members and norma ly el u of c o e ative en agemen wit s id lem nt nd t =by-s me hs driven rem sa ro and era e isen atta ning a predete n n sit on; o sh ft s id lath means into cooperative engagement with said element to shift said element- 3, T n ehihe o v i wh ch. said me su ort ng h Jo ni g mans is s at onary t respect t o 0 said aw rn n b rsn a ma h ne of the ster escrib a air o w mem rs, hineedly Join ng said ja m m rs for re ati e mo ment abeiit e tr n axial v mov hl ot r ie d r otat on about a fixed axis, and having two p ripherall -se arated ecce tr c Portion means s iis n of said, mem e s, t a point remote from said hinged connection, from one of sa d eccent ic o tion a 1' id s ap i iir th oth r of sa or ions, a r n element ha ing a cran iouriia mou ed on a d other jaw element at a point. remote from said hinged connection for turn ng movement relative agitator to sa d ot er Jaw memb r bou a is p a wit t e axis a id otor, aid strap avin a ieu n illeii nn et o wi h ai tr n on an toggle means carried by said other iaw memb and including an arm fixed to said trunnion element, step-by-step means driven with said rotor, and means actuated by said step-by-step means, after a predetermined cycle thereof, to shift said toggle means from one limiting position thereof to the opposite limiting position thereof to vary the action of s aid jaw members.

5. The machine of claim 4 including means for varying the extent of the cycle of said step-bystep means.

6. In a machine of the character described, a pair of jaw members, means hingedly joining said jaw members for relative movement about a transaxially-movable axis, a rotor journalled for rotation about a fixed axis and having two peripherally-spaced eccentric portions, means supporting that end of one of said jaw members which is remote from said hinged axis from one of said eccentric portions, means supporting that end of the other of said jaw members which is remote from said hinged axis from the other of said eccentric portions, one of said jaw-end supporting means including adjustable means for varying the effective length thereof to vary the action of said jaw members, step-by-step mechanism, driven in synchronism with said rotor, for actuating said adjustable means at the end of its cycle, means for driving said rotor, including a differential transmission, said transmission including an input shaft, an output shaft, a housing, gears carried by said shafts and said housing and meshing to transmit motion from said input shaft to said output shaft, and means dominated by said step-by-step mechanism for periodically driving said housing to modify the motion transmitted from said input shaft to said output shaft, thereby modifying the rate at which said rotor is driven relative to the velocity of said input shaft.

7. The machine of claim 6 in which said last-named means comprises a single-revolution clutch driven from said input shaft, crank means driven through said single-revolution clutch, a rack mounted for reciprocation and operatively connected to said crank means, a gear meshing with said rack, clutch means providing a one-way drive connection between said gear and said differential housing, and means actuated by said step-by-step mechanism for tripping said single-revolution clutch.

8. The machine of claim 7 including means for varying the throw of said crank means.

9. The machine of claim 7 in which said crank means includes a shaft operatively connected to said single-revolution clutch to be driven therethrough, an element fixed to said shaft and projecting radially therefrom, said element providing a trackway extending longitudinally thereof and coplanar with the axis of said shaft and having a portion registering with said shaft axis, trunnion means guided for movement along said trackway into and out of coaxial alignment with said shaft, and means for securing said trunnion means in any desired position of adjustment along said trackway, said rack being operatively connected to said trunnion means.

10. The machine of claim 9 in which said means for securing said trunnion means comprises a lever mounted intermediate its ends to swing about an axis rotatable with said shaft, a collar coaxial with said shaft and shiftable axially relative thereto, means providing an operative connection between said collar and one arm of said lever, means providing an operative connection between the other arm of said lever and said trunnion means, and means for shifting said collar and for holding the same in any selected position of adjustment.

11. The machine of claim 10 in which said means for shifting said collar comprises a screw shaft journalled for rotation upon an axis parallel with the axis of said shaft but held against axial movement, and a yoke threadedly connected with said shaft and operatively connected with said collar.

12. In a machine of the class described, a first jaw member, a second jaw member, a rotor having diametrically-opposed crank portions, means supporting an end of said first jaw member from one of said crank portions, means supporting the corresponding end of said second jaw member from the other of said crank portions, hinge means joining the other ends of said jaw members, and means for movably supporting said hinge means comprising a trackway lying substantially in a plane normal to the axis of said rotor and having a portion inclined toward said rotor axis and toward a plane including the axis of said hinge means and lying between said jaw members, and means fixed with respect to said first jaw member supported and guided for reciprocatory movement along said trackway.

EDWARD SKILLMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,798,929 Candee Mar. 31, 1931 1,996,617 Hahn Apr. 2, 1935 

